Pencil-sharpening machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. P. BALLOU. PENCIL SHARPBNING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 1'7, 1896..

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` G. E'. BALLOU.

PENCIL SHARPENING MACHINE. No. 556,709. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

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GEORGIE F. BALLOU, OF NEWvv YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO TUE A. li. DICK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PENClL-SHARPENING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,709, dated March 17, 1896.

Application filed December 2, 1895. Serial No. 570,751. (No modela To @ZZ whom t may concern: tions of the cutting-edges are constantly Be it known that I, GEORGE F. BALLOU, a changing, whereby a smooth and evenly-cut citizen of the United States, residing at New surface is produced; and a further object of York city, in the county and State of New rotating two cutters at different speeds is to 5 York, have invented a certain new and useprevent the pinching of the pencil, which 55 ful Improvement in Pencil-Sharpenin g Mawould sometimes happen if the cutting-edges chilies, of which the following is a speeicaofthe cutters were 4exactly opposite eachother tion. when engaging the pencil.

My invention relates to that class of pencil- My invention is illustrated in the accom- Io sharpening machines in which rotary cutters panyin g drawings, in which- 60 or grinders are employed, and which are also Figure lis a partial side elevation and longi caused to revolve around the pencil, th'e movetudinal section; Fig. 2, a plan View with the nient of the cutters being what is commonly operating-handle omitted and a pointed pencalled a Ccjuilanetary motion. The machines cil in position to show the relative positions I5 heretofore constructed on this principle were of the pencil and cutters; Fig. 3, a cross-sec- 65 objectionable for several reasons, the princition on the line .r of Fig. l, looking in the pal reasons being the frequent breakage of direction of arrow 3; Fig. 4, a cross-section the lead, the necessity for frequently replacon the line :r of Fig. l, looking in the diing the cutters or grinders, since they become rection of arrow i; and Fig. 5 an end eleva- 20 dull very quickly, and the difficulty in proption showing two positions of the supporting 7o erly feeding the pencil forward or in adjustbase or bracket. ing the cutter or grinder to the pencil as the Referring' to the drawings, A is a base or end of the pencil is reduced in producing the bracket haring two arms a. Pivoted bepoint. I avoid these objectionable features tween the arms c by means of screws a is a 25 in my machine by employing two like cutters case l. The case B contains a drawer er 7 5 or grinders working on opposite sides of the slide b for receiving the dust formed by the pencil, and between which the pencil is iirmly cutting of the pencil, and this drawer slides held bypushingit forward by hand. To facilibetween two ledges Z1' on each side of the case tate the sharpening of the pencil, I provide a I3. At the upper right-hand end of the case B 3o guide or support, which, in conjunction with is formed a bearing O for a spindle d, which at 8e the cutters or grinders werking on opposite its inner end carries a yoke D, upon which the sides of the pencil, prevents all lateral movecutters are mounted. The outer end of the ment of the pencil, and thus the breaking of spindle d is provided with a crank D' for rotatthe point is avoided. I'Vhen cutters are eniing the same. On the same side of the case 3 5 ployed, I provide them with a large number B is rigidly secured a stationary gear E,which 8 5 of cutting-edges, and since the two cutters is concentric with the spindle d. The yoke operate at the saine time the sharpening of a D carries two revolving cutters or grinders pencil is accomplished with about half the F and G, the cutter F haring a spindle f number of revolutions of the cutter than were having a bearing in one arm of the yoke D,

4o heretofore necessary. Thus each individual and at the other end the spindle is provided 9o cutting-edge has less work to perform, and with a beveled gear j", meshing with the sta hence the cutters will remain sharp a very tionary gear E. The cutter' G has a spindle much longer time than the cutters heretofore g, having a bearing in the other arm of the employed. The two cutters are so arranged yoke D, and at the outer end is provided with 45 that the axial center of one is slightly in ada beveled gear g', also meshing with the sta- 95 vance of the other, and the diameter of the tonary gear E. The gear gI is somewhat gear-wheel carried by one is somewhat less smaller in diameter tha-n the gear-wheelf, in than the dia-meter of the gear-wheel carried order that the cutters F and G will revolve by the other, so that the cutters revolve at at different speeds. The arrangement of 5o different speeds and so that the relative posigear-wheels f' and g and stationary gear E 1o@ produces a planetary motion of the cutters when the spindle d is rotated, as will be readily understood.

The two cutters overlap slightly, as shown in Fig. 2, and the cutting-edges are so formed that the pencil will be cut from the point backward. This is an important advantage. Vhere the cutters act in the opposite directionthat is, from the body of the pencil toward the point-the cutting-edges are liable to grasp the lead, breaking it off and pulling it from the wood. It has also been proposed to sharpen the pencil by cutting it circumferentially as distinguished from a lengthwise cut. This also is an objectionable method, since both the wood and lead are liable to be split and broken. This cannot happen when the cutters act from the point of the pencil backward. The cutting-edges of the cutters are of short length, since only a very small surface of the pencil is acted on by the cutters as they revolve around the pencil. The axial center of the cutter Fis slightly in advance of the axial center of the cutter G, as before stated, in order to bring them sufficiently close together to produce a sharp point on the pencil. If this were not done, the cutters would have to be sufficiently far apart to prevent their cutting-edges striking, and hence a sharp point could not be produced; but, on the contrary, the point of the pencil as the pencil is fed forward would pass beyond the periphery of the cutters, which would result in the production of a long cylindrical-like point to the pencil, which in most cases would break off. From an examination of Fig. 2 it will be seen that as the pencil is fed forward the point passes beyond the periphery of the cutter F, but it will still be in contact with the cutting-edges of the cutter G, thus producing a conical point and preventing the point from being broken off by reason of its having no support; and it will also be seen that the pencil-point could in no way extend beyond the cutter G, since that cutter constantly reduces the surface and maintains a conical point.

Mounted within the case B, opposite the cutters, is a guide for the pencil. This guide comprises two pivoted L-shaped levers having laterally-projecting arms IL and z' and downwardly-projecting arms 7L and 2f' respectf ively. These two levers are pivoted to the case B by bolts 7o. The arms 7L andi are provided with V-shaped recesses d for grasping the pencil, which is inserted through the hole Z in the case B. The two arms 71, and t" are connected by a link m, to one end of which is connected a spiral spring m, the other end of the spring being secured to the case B at fm2. The object ot' the link m is to move the arms 7L and t' uniformly, and the spring m' is provided for the purpose of causing the arms to grasp the pencil and at the same time to hold the arms in a central position relative to the cutters, or, in other words, in such position that the axial center of the pencil will pass through the axial center of the spindle d, so that when the pencil is operated upon by the cutters the end of the pencil is reduced to a perfect cone. The arms 7L and -L' are separated to release the pencil by depressing the finger-piece n and to facilitate this action a rigid finger-piece n is provided on the casing B, so that by grasping the two and pressing finger-piece n arm h will be tilted upward, at the same time tilting arm 7L to the right, which, through link m, tilts arm if in the same direction, causing the arm t' to bc moved downward. From this it will be seen that the arms h and fi always move toward an d away from each other uniformly. In opening the arms to release the pencil spring mi' is placed under increased tension, and upon the finger-piece n being released the spring will pull the arms backward toward their n ormal positions. The arm c' is preferably a double or bifurcated one, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the arm h will extend between the two parts of the arm t', thus forming a longer and more rigid bearing for the pencil and guarding against any wabbling thereof.

The case Bis held rigidly between the two arms a by screws a2, which enter holes as in the sides of the case. The base or bracket A is shown in position for securing the apparatus upon a table; but if it is desired tosecure the apparatus to a wall or other vertical support the screws a2 are removed and the bracket is swung around to the position shown in dotted lines in lFig. 5, and the bracket is locked in this position by inserting the screws a2 in holes e4. (See Figs. 4 and 5.)

l. In a pencilsharpening machine, the combination with two rotary cutters or grinders adapted to work on opposite sides of a pencil, of means for giving a planetary motion to said cutters, and a guide for holding a pencil, substantially as set forth.

2. In a pencil-sharpening machine, the combination with two rotary cutters or grinders adapted to work on opposite sides of a pencil, the axial center of one being in advance of the axial center of the other, of means for giving a planetary motion to said cutters or grinders, and a guide for holding a pencil, substantially as set forth.

In a pencil-sharpening machine, the combination,with two overlappi ng rotary cutters or grinders adapted to work on opposite sides of a pencil and the axial center of one being in advance of the axial center of the other, of means for giving a planetary motion to said cutters, and a guide for holding a pencil, substantially as set forth.

4. In a pencil-sharpening machine, the combination, with two rotary cutters or grinders adapted to work von opposite sides of a pencil, of a yoke having bearings for the spindles of said cutters or grinders, gear-wheels on said spindles engaging with a stationary gear,-a spindle upon which the yoke is mounted, and a crank for rotating said spindle,

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whereby a planetary motion of the cutters or grinders is produced, and a guide for the pencil, substantially as set forth.

5. In a pencil-'sharpening machine, the combination with a rotary cutter or grinder, of a guide for the pencil consisting` of two pivoted L-shaped levers, a link connecting said levers, and a spring acting upon said levers, whereby a pencil inserted between said levers will be so held that its axial center will pass through the axial center of the spindle carrying the cutter or grinder, and means for adjusting said levers to permit the insertion and withdrawal of a pencil, substantially as set forth.

G. The combination with a tool carried by a rotating spindle, of a work-holding device consisting of two pivoted levers, a link connecting said levers, and a spring acting upon said levers, whereby the work inserted between said levers will be so held that its axial center will pass through the axial center of the tool or its spindle, and means for adjusting said levers to permit the insertion and withdrawal of the work, substantially as set forth.

7. In a pencil-sharpening machine, the combination with the oase B, of a stationary gear carried thereby, a bearing for a rotating` spindle provided with a yoke carrying two revolving cutters or grinders, said cutters or grinders being provided with gear-wheels meshing with the stationary gear, whereby a planetary motion of the cutters is produced, a pencil-guide mounted on the opposite side of the case, and an adjustable supportinb` bracket for'said case, substantially as set forth.

This speciiication signed and witnessed this 30th day of November, 1895.

GEO. F. BALLOU. lVitnesses EUGENE CONRAN, JOHN R. TAYLOR. 

